


And I never really knew what to do

by kuriositet



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: College AU, Dimples, Library AU, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Romantic Comedy, damen is equally very very bi, everyone is thirsty, laurent is very very gay, librarian!laurent, thirsty!laurent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 08:24:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19764316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuriositet/pseuds/kuriositet
Summary: Working nights at the University library used to be nice and relaxing, but then Laurent met Damen and it was less nice and relaxing and more blushing and hiding. And dimples. There were a lot more dimples.





	And I never really knew what to do

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome!
> 
> I had an idea the other night and it somehow turned into this (for me) huge thing.
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not American so I don't know shit about college or college libraries over there. But, I am a librarian and have worked as a student at my uni library, so I'm basing it all off of that, even if it's different.
> 
> Also I don't own these characters.
> 
> Title is from the Lion's Roar by First Aid Kit.

Working nights at the university library was easy and quiet and Laurent enjoyed it. Manning the info desk rarely meant taking any difficult reference questions, but was usually just about finding a certain book or helping students create a library card or replace one they had lost. When he was on desk duty he could often just stand there and read while sneaking sips of tea from his thermos mug.

He did prefer the mindless work of reshelving books however. Later at night when they were almost closing and the library was nearly empty it was nice to just grab a book cart and walk around returning books to their places. Sometimes he brought his earbuds and listened to music, but he enjoyed the peace and quiet of the library at night as well.

Tonight was a night where he just listened to the silence, but as he rounded yet another shelf of 300’s it was disrupted by laughter and excited voices. Two male students were standing at the middle of the aisle, looking at something on one of their phones. Laurent recognized them as regular visitors to the library, but he had never interacted with either of them. Tonight, only one of them actually looked like he was there to study, the other one wearing gym clothes and a bag, flushed cheeks and wet hair. Laurent wrinkled his nose, and of course that’s when the not-gym looking one looked up and noticed him. 

“Oh, hey, are we in the way? Sorry,” not-gym guy said, smiling brightly with his entire face at Laurent. Then, to his friend, he said, “You’re stinking the whole place up, Nik. You should go, I’ll text you later.”

Laurent didn’t really feel as though he was required for this exchange, so he quietly started shelving books at his end of the row, and by the time he reached the place where the two students had been he was alone. He noted that where they had been as just where the Gender studies section began, and he rolled his eyes, wondering if they had been laughing at something from that particular shelf. 

His cart was nearly empty by then and he returned to the Info desk once he was done, making small talk with Aimeric, the undergrad student he was usually sharing his evenings with, until it was time to close. 

He did see the not-gym student again as he left for the night, passing the desk on his way out. He gave Laurent a little wave and another bright smile, which Laurent returned with a small unusual smile of his own to his own surprise. 

\--------

After that, Laurent started seeing not-gym guy a whole lot more in the library, and every time he took note of him Laurent sighed to himself because he really shouldn’t be noticing him at all and if he did he should at least learn his name because “not-gym guy” just wasn’t correct. Laurent hadn’t seen him up close, but not-gym guy was huge, built like a house, with shoulders and arms and legs for days. Laurent had also seen him one time when he was on his own morning run, outside of the gym building, wearing gym shorts despite the cold and sweaty hair pulled back in a bun. 

“I feel like, you could cling to him in a storm, and he wouldn’t budge at all,” Aimeric’s very unhelpful voice supplied one night when Laurent was decidedly not checking not-gym guy out while he was checking out a book. 

“Please shut up,” Laurent hissed at Aimeric, loud enough to warrant a look from not-gym guy before he returned to his place, wherever that was tonight. Laurent hardly ever spotted him in the same section of the library, and so had no idea what he was actually studying. 

Later that night, as they were closing and Aimeric was away on one of their rounds, collecting books that were left out, Laurent finally learned not-gym guy’s name. 

“Um, hi, Laurent, is it?” Laurent looked up, surprised to hear his name, and there he was, not-gym guy, gesturing vaguely at Laurent’s name tag in response to his probably bewildered expression. 

“Yes, can I help you?” Laurent straightened his back a little from where he had been almost slouching against the desk, because even with the info desk between them, not-gym guy was suddenly close enough for Laurent to see just how _tall_ he was. Which was really fucking tall. And Laurent wasn’t short.

“Yeah, I just wanted to give you this, someone left it at one of the booths in the basement.” He handed over a plain black leather wallet and gave Laurent yet another huge smile. With dimples. “I didn’t take any of the money, it’s all still there,” he added, and it was probably a joke but Laurent found himself too preoccupied with dimples and warm brown eyes and white teeth to respond properly.

“Right, yes, thank you,” Laurent said after a moment too long, reaching out for the wallet. 

“I’ll let you get back to work then,” not-gym guy said, stepping back from the desk, and Laurent nodded stiffly.

“Right. Good night then,” Laurent said, feeling flushed. He could still see the dimples.

“Good night, Laurent.” He finally turned toward the door to leave and Laurent thought he might swoon if he wasn’t too dignified for that, because the way he had said his name- Laurent’s train of thought was interrupted by not-gym guy suddenly turning around again, looking right at Laurent. “I’m Damen, by the way.”

“Okay,” Laurent replied, and watched as Damen left. He still hadn’t moved when Aimeric returned a few moments later.

“Are you okay?” he asked, and Laurent finally moved.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m just very, very gay.”

\-------

Now that he knew Damen’s name it became even harder to pretend he wasn’t taking note whenever he spotted him. It was usually at the library while he was working, because Damen really came in pretty much every evening Laurent was working. Sometimes he was alone, and sometimes he had company. Usually it was Nik, who thankfully didn’t always come straight from the gym, but there were others too, mostly tall, fit gym-looking guys, like Damen, with more muscles on display than Laurent thought strictly necessary. 

When Damen was alone, he would sometimes wave Laurent over, or get up and talk to Laurent while he was reshelving books. Laurent wasn’t sure if Damen really was flirting, but he couldn’t help but smile and blush and flirt (maybe flirt?) back, and Laurent found himself thinking about these moments and looking forward to them even when he wasn’t at work.

However, sometimes Damen was at the library with a woman. She was beautiful, even Laurent could see that, with long, slender but strong limbs, a sharp, intelligent face and long blonde hair, almost the same shade as Laurent’s golden locks.

They seemed familiar with each other, in a way that meant they had known each other forever, that there was nothing performed between them. It was just how they were, easy and relaxed. Laurent didn’t think she was a student because she never seemed to study on her own, but she would help Damen out, quizzing him and helping him make flash cards. 

Usually she left before Damen, but if they left together Damen would have an arm around her shoulders as they walked and talked on their way out. Damen would always pause and smile and tell Laurent good night, though, and Laurent would return it and curse silently at himself about dimples and for being an idiot. 

Damen was clearly straight and had a girlfriend, besides, Laurent didn’t even know him and there was no reason at all why he should even notice who Damen spent his time studying with. Dimples or no dimples, Laurent wasn’t Damen’s friend and he had no right to pry.

Laurent decided for a while that he would avoid reshelving books in the sections close to where Damen was sitting, to avoid seeing him as much as possible and hopefully get him off his mind. It was difficult though, since Damen never seemed to sit in the same place twice, but usually it worked out because Laurent spotted him walking off towards the study rooms by the 800’s or the basement booths and Laurent would simply choose a cart with books for a completely different section. 

It did work for a short while and Laurent did think less about Damen. He even conceded to a blind date with a friend of his brother’s that he had been dodging forever, and even though the blind date was a complete dead end (Laurent hadn’t been offended or surprised when they had run into Aimeric and Jord seemed a lot more interested in him) it had been good to do something other than fantasize about dimples and jerking off.

It couldn’t last forever though.

Laurent usually did his own studying in the early mornings, sometimes using his staff keys and code to get in before the library opened at 8. Whenever his classes ran late he would end up studying in the afternoon instead, sometimes going straight to work afterwards. When he didn’t have work, he might stay later, which is how Damen found him in his favorite secret spot down by the ancient microfiche machines.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t think anyone was down here,” Damen said, about to turn and leave before Laurent looked up and Damen did a double-take, face splitting into his usual smile. “Hey, it’s you! What are you doing here?”

It was kind of an odd question, because Laurent thought it was fairly obvious what he was doing. “I’m studying.” He gestured to his laptop and the books and journals spread out in front of him. “It’s okay if you take the other seat, I probably won’t stay much longer.”

“But you’re not a student. You work here.” Damen’s brows furrowed, but he lowered his backpack to the table and pulled out the chair. 

“Only a couple of nights a week. I’m mostly a student.”

“Huh. I had no idea.” Damen did a kind of half-shrug and pulled out his own laptop. “I totally thought you were a librarian. How come you work here if you’re a student?”

“Because real librarians don’t like to work nights, and they hate reshelving books,” Laurent said and it must have sounded like a joke because Damen laughed. “I’m also doing my master’s in Library Science, and it’s good to get some real experience.

“Wow, I didn’t even know Library Science was a thing.” Damen could have said it in a mocking way, Laurent often got that kind of response, but he actually sounded impressed. 

“Yeah, nobody does.” Laurent felt himself smiling and Damen smiled back and he had to remind himself that Damen was straight and had a girlfriend and was simply the kind of person who walked around smiling his stupidly bright, dimpled smile at everyone he met.

He pointedly turned back to his laptop and the rustling on the other side of the table told him Damen was getting his books out too, and he could breathe a little easier. He could do this, just sit opposite of Damen and study. Not talking, not smiling and not looking over at Damen and his stupid face and stupid manbun and very intense eyebrows that furrowed in the middle of his face while he took very careful notes by hand. 

Yeah, Laurent wasn’t going to get anymore studying done like this. 

He sighed, saving his work so far and closed his laptop, which earned him an apologetic look from Damen. “I’m sorry, I totally ruined your focus, didn’t I?”

“It’s alright. I’ve been here for hours anyway, so I should get going.” He got up and gathered his things into his bag, piling the reference books on the table to return upstairs.

“I still feel bad. Maybe I could buy you coffee some time to make it up to you?” Damen asked, dimples on full display and Laurent’s mind froze up completely, cheeks flushed a deep red he was sure.

“Oh, I- Thank you, but I don’t drink coffee.” Laurent started to leave, not giving Damen a chance to alter his offer. Then he remembered the books on the table, turned back to grab them, felt his face go completely beet red thanks to his wonderfully pale complexion, and finally said, “Goodbye Damen.”

He didn’t wait for a reply.

\-------

For the next few weeks Laurent determinedly avoided even looking at Damen, because every time he saw the familiar manbun and plaid shirt approaching in the corner of his eye he felt his cheeks heating up. He left most of the reshelving to Aimeric and worked the information desk himself, pretending he needed to do something in the back like a true professional whenever he spotted Damen. 

Unfortunately, Aimeric grew tired of always reshelving books, so in the end Laurent had to venture out into the library and risk facing Damen again. He couldn’t even hide out with Aimeric in between because Jord, who was now dating Aimeric, had taken to hang out with Aimeric while he was working, and Laurent didn’t feel like being their third wheel, even though he had a better reason to be there than Jord did.

With music in his ears he worked through book cart after book cart, not seeing Damen anywhere. Not until he was on his fourth cart and found himself by the 300’s again, and there he was, right where Laurent had first noticed him. He was alone this time, frowning at the shelf, but when he looked up and saw Laurent his face split into his usual grin.

He started talking before Laurent could turn his music off, but he caught enough, “-haven’t seen you in forever!” to reply, “Yeah, I’ve been busy.”

He thought his cheeks went a little pink, but it wasn’t the full flaming red that he had been dreading, so he counted that as a win. Laurent couldn’t help but feel better when Damen’s cheeks also turned a little pink with his next words, though it was a lot more discrete with his darker skin. It was also unbearably attractive.

“I thought you might be angry with me.” 

“Why would I be angry with you?” Laurent asked, though he supposed his running away and avoidance could possibly be interpreted that way.

“I don’t know,” Damen said, tilting his head to one side as he looked at Laurent. “I guess I thought I might have overstepped or something. But we’re cool, right?”

“Yeah, of course. Like I said, I’ve just been busy.” Laurent’s mind was racing. What did Damen mean about overstepping? Did he mean the coffee offer? But he was straight. And most definitely had a girlfriend. 

“Great,” Damen said, grinning, and Laurent had to force himself to focus on the now. “Are you busy right now? Aside from all of that?” Damen asked, gesturing to Laurent’s nearly full book cart.

Laurent almost replied that yes, he is very busy, goodbye Damen, but he stopped himself and took a calming breath. “No, it’s alright. I have a minute.”

“Oh, thank you! I actually need help finding a book,” Damen explained, and Laurent remembered the frown he had been wearing earlier. “I’ve checked the catalog like ten times and it’s supposed to be on the shelf but it’s not and I really, really need it for an assignment that’s due tomorrow.”

“Alright, I’m sure it’s here somewhere. It might be here on the cart actually,” Laurent suggested, knowing these books had been sitting around since yesterday.

“God, I hope so. It’s _Gender Trouble_ by Judith Butler.” Laurent refrained from raising a curious eyebrow at that, and focused on scanning the backs of the books on his cart instead, finding it easily enough. He gave it to Damen who looked like he might hug Laurent, but didn’t. “Thank you, oh my god. You’ve saved my life.”

“You’re welcome. It’s what I’m here for.” Laurent’s cheeks turned a little pink again as Damen beamed at him, so he changed the subject. “What’s your major anyway?”

Damen looked confused for a moment, then down at the book and back up at Laurent. “Oh, my degree is in Social Work, but this is for another class. I like to dabble in different things, so I’m taking a class in gender studies this semester. I did women’s studies last semester because Jokaste suggested it and she helped me study for it. I think she might go back to college to major in it herself, but it’ll have to wait ‘til Leia is old enough.”

There was so much information in what Damen just said that Laurent had to focus on keeping his face composed while he processed all of it. If he didn’t, his face would have fallen and revealed things Laurent didn’t want out in the open. 

Jokaste must be the blonde woman. The girlfriend. Wife? Laurent had never noticed whether or not Damen wore a ring, but then again he had avoided looking on purpose to spare himself. And Leia was… a pet? A dog? Laurent thought hopefully. No, you didn’t wait to go to college for your puppy to grow up. You might have to for a child though. It wasn’t necessarily Damen’s child, Laurent though. But it was definitely Damen’s girlfriend’s child. Damen’s wife’s child?

Damen had kept talking but Laurent hadn’t listened or replied at all and now he couldn’t think of a single thing to say. _Damen had a child. Or a step child._ Nothing Damen said seemed to stick after that realization. 

Laurent was saved by his phone buzzing in his pocket. It was Aimeric, wondering where he was, and Laurent knew he must have been talking to Damen for far longer than he had meant to.

“That sounds really interesting,” he said to Damen, hoping he didn’t sound to dismissive. “I gotta head downstairs to help close up.”

“Right, sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you so long.” Damen smiled apologetically.

“No, it’s fine. It was nice talking to you. I’m sorry for keeping you from your studying.”

“Well, without you I’d still be staring at the shelf waiting for this book to magically appear on it, so don’t worry about it.” Damen’s smile was all dimples and if it hadn’t been for his phone buzzing again in his hand, Laurent would have stayed there, staring at those dimples for the rest of the night. 

“Okay, well, goodnight.” Laurent collected his full cart of books to return it to the corner where all carts waited before the books were reshelved.

“Goodnight, Laurent.” Laurent flushed a darker red now and the last half hour of work was a blur. He couldn’t seem to focus on anything. It was all dimples and the way Damen said his name and Damen having a child and a girlfriend and being so obviously straight and Laurent just needed to get over this. This crush or whatever it was wasn’t getting him anywhere and nothing would come of it.

Jord had already left when Laurent came back downstairs after talking to Damen, so when they finished closing up Laurent turned to Aimeric and asked, “Do you wanna get drunk?”

\-------

“And his dimples are just driving me insane!” Laurent said, or maybe shouted, from where he lay on the floor, feet still on his couch, nearly empty wine bottle to the side. 

Aimeric was on the couch, lying on his side and looking down on Laurent, wineglass in hand. He didn’t say much, just hummed his agreement every now and then. Laurent didn’t mind.

“And I keep thinking he’s flirting with me and he asked me to have coffee with him-”

“He what? When?” Aimeric asked, but Laurent waved him off.

“But he has a girlfriend! I have seen her!” Laurent put his feet down and sat up, reaching for the bottle to take a swig. “He talks about her! He talks about their daughter!”

“He has a daughter?”

“What am I supposed to do with that?” Laurent takes another swallow of wine but tips the bottle too far, spilling red wine down his chin and onto his light blue shirt. “Shit.” 

“Maybe you should just ask him about it?”

“And he’s getting a degree in social work and he’s taking gender studies and women’s studies so he’s probably a feminist, and I mean, can he be any more perfect? I hate him.” Laurent slumped against the couch, leaning his head against it and realizing he was exhausted. 

“You’re an idiot and you should go to sleep,” Aimeric sighed. “I’m gonna sleep right here.”

“Me too,” Laurent muttered, because getting up from the floor was too much work. 

\-------

The next day was unpleasant, but at least Laurent didn’t have work that night. The day after that was Saturday and Aimeric decided Laurent needed to stop moping and invited him to go out with Jord and him and Jord’s friends, which Laurent only accepted after confirming that Auguste would be there. 

Auguste was there, as well as their childhood friend Lazar and his boyfriend of a few years, Pallas. Other than that it was Laurent, Jord and Aimeric, or that’s what Laurent thought. Because it took him forever to realize that Damen’s friend Nik, or gym guy, who turned up to the bar a few minutes after them and started talking to Auguste, was actually there _with them._

Laurent tried to look around to see if Damen was there as well, but he didn’t want to be too obvious. He was sitting opposite of Auguste and Nik, trying to take part in whatever they were talking about, but he couldn’t help but feel as though Nik was trying to shut him out on purpose. Not to mention the death glares was rather off putting. 

Laurent figured it made sense though, as time passed and Auguste shifted just a little bit closer and Nik put his arm around him and Laurent decided he really did not need to be there for whatever came next. The others had wandered off, probably to get some air, and Laurent considered joining them, but they were all looking so happy and couple-y and Laurent felt even worse about it because Nik had made him think about Damen. Not that he wasn’t already thinking about Damen. 

He texted Aimeric a quick, **Tired, going home** , as he left and went outside to take a taxi home. 

**Sry, didnt mean to triple 3rd wheel u :(**

Aimeric’s response buzzed in his pocket just as Laurent was paying the driver and he read it as he slowly dragged his feet up the stairs to his 3rd floor flat. He didn’t reply, but his phone buzzed again a minute later anyway.

**J &me are gonna find you a bf. Do you know some guy called Orlant? J doesnt know him well but Lzr says hes cool.**

Laurent sighed, and typed out a reply.

**No thank you. Orlant’s like a brother to me, he and Auguste dated a few years ago. Please stop. I’m fine.**

He turned off his text notifications and went to bed, feeling exhausted, but his mind just wouldn’t shut up. He couldn’t stop thinking about Damen, which wasn’t new, but he was also unable to stop thinking about Nik and, more specifically, Nik being rude. What if it wasn’t just about Laurent unknowingly cock-blocking him and Auguste. Maybe Nik knew that Damen liked Laurent (did Damen like Laurent?) and was flirting with him (was Damen flirting with him?) despite having a girlfriend?

It did seem farfetched, even to Laurent, but he kept thinking about it, over and over until he finally drifted off to sleep.

The night came back to him in his dreams though, but as he was sitting in his seat, talking to Nik and Auguste, it changed so it was Damen and himself in their places instead. He shifted closer, just as Auguste had done, and Damen put his arm around him, just as Nik had done. Damen was warm all over, his chest firm where Laurent leaned into it, and his lips- God, his lips were- 

Laurent never found out what Damen’s lips were like because he woke up, his dick hard and aching between his legs. Laurent groaned, kicking the covers off and getting out of bed and into the shower, and if he turned temperature up high rather than down, it was only so he could finally get back to sleep afterward. There was no other reason for it at all.

\-------

On Monday, Laurent was working again, and he had come to a decision. Or, he had decided to do _something_ in the eventuality of him seeing Damen. He just hadn’t decided what he was going to do. His options as he saw them were: a) ask Damen to just leave him alone, b) demand an explanation for everything, c) get tongue-tied and stare longingly while his mind helpfully supplied him with images from his dreams.

Realistically, Laurent knew that option c was the one more likely to happen, or d, which was none of the above. 

As it turned out, Laurent did see Damen. And Damen’s girlfriend. And the baby. Because it wasn’t just a child, it was a baby, maybe one year old, and Damen was bouncing the laughing baby on his lap while the girlfriend, Jokaste, used Damen’s laptop. The baby looked like Damen, Laurent could tell even from a distance, with his dark hair and brown skin. Laurent wasn’t spying, he really didn’t mean to see it, he just happened to pass by the study room where they were sitting. He turned and walked away as fast as he could, and if someone called after him, he decidedly did not hear it. 

Laurent spent the rest of the night at the Info desk, hiding out in the back whenever he thought he saw Damen coming. About an hour before closing he could hear Damen actually asking Aimeric where Laurent was. Aimeric, being a true friend, said, “Oh, I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. Do you need me to call him?”

“No, no, I don’t want to bother him,” Damen replied and there was something wrong with his voice. Laurent had never heard him like that before. He sounded sad.

Laurent stayed hidden a few more minutes, checking the library email over and over again even though they had no new emails.

“You can come out now,” Aimeric said finally. “He left.”

“I’m not hiding,” Laurent lied.

“Of course not.” Laurent could practically hear Aimeric rolling his eyes. “I’m only gonna say this once, Laurent, but I really think you’re being an idiot about this.”

“Noted,” Laurent said, not meeting Aimeric’s eyes, and got started on their closing routine.

\-------

40 minutes later they stepped out in the chilly night air and just as Laurent turned to bid Aimeric goodnight before they left in their different directions, a voice spoke from the dark, startling them both. “Hey! Shit, sorry!”

It was Damen, of course. Laurent couldn’t decide whether he found the persistence charming or annoying or creepy. It being Damen, he leaned toward the first option, but he was clearly biased.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, or wait for you like a creep,” he visibly cringed as he said it. “But I was hoping we could talk?”

Before Laurent got a chance to decline, Aimeric said, “My boyfriend’s waiting for me, so I’ll leave you to it. Laurent, text me later so I know you didn’t get murdered?”

“Sure,” Laurent said to Aimeric, then to Damen when they were alone, “Walk me home?”

He hadn’t meant to ask that, but it made sense because just standing there outside the library felt strange.

“Sure,” Damen replied, then as they started walking, he asked, “Were you hiding before?”

Laurent thought for a long moment before replying, “Maybe. Why were you looking for me?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you. And I wanted you to meet Jokaste and Leia.” Laurent could hear the faint smile in his voice as he said their names.

Laurent huffed. “And you can’t think of a single reason why I wouldn’t want that?”

“What? No. I have no idea,” Damen said, and when Laurent didn’t offer any insight, he tried something else. “Nik told me you went out with him and Auguste the other night.”

“No, I was out with Auguste and our friends. Nik was just there, glaring at me like I had kicked his puppy.” Laurent tried to sound cold, as if it hadn’t bothered him as much as it did.

“That’s kind of my fault,” Damen said. “I kind of haven’t shut up about you in months.” He made a pause, but it was too brief for Laurent to find his words and respond.

“You’ve been driving me crazy, you know?” Damen continued. “You’re so competent and dedicated and disciplined and _beautiful_ ,” he spat out, almost like it was an obscenity, “and when I flirted with you you blushed and flirted back.” Laurent felt himself blushing now, and was grateful for the dark.

“But then you turned me down and avoided me for weeks, and I was sure I had it all wrong, that it was in my head and that I was just a creep harassing you at your workplace. But then we talked last week, and I was sure it wasn’t in my head.” Damen paused, drawing in a deep breath. “I was going to ask you out tonight, and I saw you earlier, and I think you saw us, but then you kept hiding whenever I came downstairs to look for you.”

Damen fell silent and Laurent knew it was his turn to talk, but he felt as if the ground underneath him was shifting, like the things he thought he knew might not be true.

He stopped walking, about halfway to his apartment building, and Damen stopped too, a few steps ahead before he turned back to look at Laurent. There was a streetlight just close enough to shed some light on Damen’s face, his intense brows furrowed over his dark eyes. 

“You have a girlfriend.” It came out like an accusation, and Damen’s brows shot up on his forehead. “And a baby!” At that, he had the audacity to laugh.

“Don’t,” Laurent hissed. “You’re right, I saw you earlier. That baby looks just like you.”

Damen laughed again, like he couldn’t help it, covering his face with his ridiculously large hands.

“That’s really not- Oh my god. You thought? Fuck.” Damen laughed harder, and Laurent was getting fed up with it.

“What? What’s so funny?” His cheeks were heating up again and he hoped the streetlight didn’t make it too obvious.

“She’s, shit, I’m sorry. She’s my niece.” Damen giggled, and the ground shifted underneath Laurent’s feet again ans the pieces of the puzzle moved to make a different picture. 

“And Jokaste?”

“Is harder to explain, but she really isn’t my girlfriend.” Laurent wanted to protest because he just didn’t believe it, but Damen continued before he got the chance. “She’s my ex-girlfriend, from years ago, who left me for my older brother. Then he left her, and moved across the country when she got pregnant, saying he wanted nothing to do with her or the baby.”

Laurent opened his mouth, then closed it again. He didn’t know what to say.

“Jokaste has no other family, and neither do I since my father died last year. Just because Kastor is out of the picture it doesn’t mean I have to be.”

“So they’re your family,” Laurent said, not quite a question. 

“Yeah, but they’re not _my family_ ,” Damen said, and Laurent let out a startled laugh, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot, but also like it wasn’t entirely his fault.

“I wish you had cleared that up a little earlier,” Laurent said, blushing a little as he met Damen’s eyes under the streetlight. 

“Well, it would have been easier if you weren’t avoiding me.” Laurent blushed harder and Damen smiled his huge, bright smile with dimples, and without another word they started walking again.

They walked closer together than they had before, shoulders almost rubbing together. Laurent let his left hand out of his coatpocket and the moment their hands brushed together, their palms met and their fingers laced together, making a warm, tingly feeling spread through Laurent’s body, starting at the very tips of his fingers.

They reached Laurent’s building too soon, and he was reluctant as he brought them to a halt by his door. “This is it,” he said, still holding Damen’s hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

Damen moved so he was in front of Laurent, and this was the closest they had ever been. Damen really was stupidly tall; Laurent could feel his warm breath on his forehead. Laurent had a fantastic view of Damen’s lips though, and they looked just as perfect up close as they had in his dreams. 

“Now that we’ve cleared up all the misunderstandings,” Damen said, lifting his free hand up to Laurent’s jaw, carefully tilting his face up a little so their eyes could meet more comfortably, “I hope you’ll let me take you on a date.”

Laurent pretended to think about it, or he tried to, but his smile betrayed him. “Okay,” he said, looking into Damen’s eyes, and then at his dimples and finally at his lips. Then he wasn’t looking anywhere at all because Damen was leaning down, his lips meeting Laurent’s in a soft, but warm and lingering kiss. Laurent’s free hand came up to grasp Damen’s shoulder to steady himself as he pushed up on his toes, wanting more, to be closer. 

When the kiss ended, their hands parted as Damen’s arm wound around Laurent’s waist and both Laurent’s hands rested on Damen’s shoulders, steadying himself.

“I don’t know if this is maybe too forward after everything,” Laurent found himself saying, “but if you want, you can come up for a cup of tea.”

Damen grinned and Laurent liked how it looked when his lips were a little swollen from kissing. “I don’t drink tea,” he said, clearly remembering Laurent’s response to his coffee invitation from weeks ago.

“I guess I’ll have to find something else for you, then.”

“I’m sure you will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading loves!
> 
> This was my first capri fic, so love and comments and kudos is extra welcome! :)


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